This invention relates to polyhydroxy ethers containing indanols and spirobiindanols. These polyhydroxy ethers are tough, soluble thermoplastics with high heat distortion temperatures, relative to bisphenol A based materials, which may find application as surface coating resins.
The reaction between aromatic diols and diglycidyl ethers is well established. In the articles entitled "Polyhydroxy Ethers. I. Effect of Structure on Properties of High Molecular Weight Polymers from Dihydric Phenols and Epichlorohydrin," the authors, Reinking, Barnabeo, and Hale, discuss the polyhydroxy ether of bisphenol A. (Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol. 7, pp. 2135-2144, 1963). The ether is formed by reacting bisphenol A with epichlorohydrin to yield the polyhydroxy ether of bisphenol A with the following repeating unit: ##STR1## The article also discusses the use of connecting groups other than isopropyl in the bisphenol and their effect on the glass transition temperature of the polyhydroxy ethers. Such groups include ##STR2## to name a few. The heat distortion temperature of the polyhydroxy ether of bisphenol A is 88.degree. C. at 264 psi. The present invention allows for heat distortion temperatures of greater than the boiling point of water.